Let’s focus on the future

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, January 21, 2010

Tribune Editors

There’s no doubt about it. The nation is suffering, and the people of Huron County are bearing a greater burden than most. Unemployment is up. Wages are down. Health insurance is getting harder to afford. The cost of higher education has skyrocketed, while our public schools are taking a major hit.

This economy is damaging our pocketbooks, our pride and our mental health. Most economists say they see a light at the end of the tunnel, but here in the Upper Thumb we are buried so deep it’s hard even to see a glimmer of hope.

Still, despite the fact we are still mired in darkness, it does us no good to wallow in despair. The past has shown us that the economy is cyclical, and we will come out of this rut. We will not suffer forever, and with determination and hard work, hopefully, we will thrive once again.

Determination is hard to muster, however, when we are focused on our problems. That’s why the Tribune is publishing a four-week series, Focus on the Future. The series, which will appear every Saturday in your Tribune, will discuss our current economic situation, but, more importantly, it will highlight the hope people have for the future.

The series will spotlight our business community, health care, agriculture and travel, and health care. This week’s Focus on the Future section profiles local businesspeople, and we take an honest look at how their business was affected by the economy and the plans they have to stay viable and, eventually, grow.

We hope this series gives our readers a little hope in these difficult times.